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Electrical Design Software

Good afternoon all.

I need some advice regarding design software.

The manual calc are normally pretty easy to do, but I'm getting some clients that want better print outs.

I've looked at Amtech, which seems to be the market leader, but expensive.

An advert popped up on here for a software called ElectricalOM, produced by Modecsoft, and it looks OK.

Has anyone on here used it?

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

Thank you,

Richard.

0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

I would suggest you try the free software toolkit for electrical designers - MeteorSpec LT.

The toolkit consists of the following components:

- MeteorSpec-NETWORK – software for simulation, analysis and calculation of 0.4kV distribution networks;

- MeteorSpec-ELECTRIC – collection of various calculators for electrical designers and students;

- MeteorSpec-PLINE – totally customizable multipurpose tool for summarizing lengths and areas of any objects that can be modeled by lightweight polylines.

MeteorSpec is plugin for CAD software. Supported CAD platforms are AutoCAD BricsCAD and GstarCAD. You can download MeteorSpec on https://meteorspec.com/
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

Hi Richard

I am a user of ElectricalOM. It is the best electrical design software I have ever used. I also provide training as a partner for the software here in the UK.

Let me know if you have any questions about it

Kind regards

Spencer Henry
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

Hello Richard,

Another vote for Electrical OM, & I'm just a satisfied user, yes, I have met the guys there at a show, but I'm not directly involved with the product.
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0 John Peckham over 4 years ago

I am an Amtech user but have seen the Modesoft. It looks very good to me and a lot less than Trimble. The company are more helpful and responsive than Amtech who appear to reject every request for simple changes and expect customers to make the effort to get around problems. I asked Amtech/Trimble to change the default for the supply to be at the bottom of the drawing just like the previous version. Most designers put the supply at the bottom of a drawing, not the default at the top of the drawing, I was told if I set up a drawing showing a supply at the bottom of the drawing I could save this as a template. Of course I would need more than one template for different types of supply so I have to make the effort as a customer rather than what I thought would be a simple change! I have given up asking Amtech for anything now as I just get the bums rush to any request.

Modesoft are much more friendly and responsive and a lot less cost to buy and maintain.

I have no financial connection with Modesoft other some friendly chats with them at Elex shows.
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

Ex Amtech user ?

Tech support not useful at all for me, all I kept getting was that they are not qualified electricians or designers, not what I was told when I purchased the software.

They are also very expensive when it comes to renewal at least for a small outfit such has mine.

Their Fastest program was actually pretty good imo but lacks depth in the amount of standard forms for example there is no fire alarm modification cert??

I might well have a look at modesoft at some point due to some of the other posts, but at present am considering EasyCert by tysoft for all my certification requirements.

Regards TS
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

If your interested in ElectricalOM there is a 14 day free trial available on this link

https://electricalom.com/site/free.php

Have a play
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

richard64:

Good afternoon all.

I need some advice regarding design software.

The manual calc are normally pretty easy to do, but I'm getting some clients that want better print outs.

I've looked at Amtech, which seems to be the market leader, but bloody expensive.

An advert popped up on here for a software called ElectricalOM, produced by Modecsoft, and it looks OK.

Has anyone on here used it?

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

Thank you,

Richard.

It depends on what level you require, for a lot of electricians it is difficult to justify the cost of a grand or more and then continual annual or bi-annual updates as all they want is a quick technical drawing for domestic and small works installations for customers, there is one that a lot of electricians use for quick and dirty stuff and that is DesignSpark Electrical by RS totally free and under constant development by those clever guys at RS and the community, I have not used it as my discipline is Solidworks and Inventor so I am a bit of a CAD ninja, I have used their DesignSpark PCB for knocking up a couple of ESP's and BOB's (breakout boards). Shop around a bit and consider what you require and what you require it for.

Rob
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

Having used Design Spark in various guises, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Lt, and various other 2D packages I think comparing Design Spark & Electrical OM is like comparing AutoCAD Lt & Inventor!?

Electrical OM, is not a 2D drafting package like Design Spark, it actually verifies the design selections made as in for example, the cable size against the circuit breaker, against the cable length against the supply impedance for the circuit earth fault loop impedance, calculates and verifies this for you, as you design, it does selectivity studies, and a whole raft of other things.

It's not an "add on" to a mainstream CAD package.

I has a library of circuit breaker and fuse characteristics within the software, it has a library of cable current carrying capacities based on the installation method you give the cable.

It creates a single line distribution diagram for you as you create the circuit, it will create parts lists, you can export the design to an EIC ready for the I&T guys to complete, either in Electrical OM format, or to EasyCert.

It is a serious specialist piece of software that is a serious Amtech competitor, and it's not "just" certification, that isn't even half of it.

If you are looking at an Amtech type package, then IMHO you would be better off with Electrical OM, the only reason I could think you would need to go with Amtech would be for compatibility with clients or suppliers.

However, me, I'd be trying to move them over too, it's just so easy to use.
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0 richard64 over 4 years ago

Thanks for all your replies.

I am currently using: a calculator, regs book, excel and draftsight, so was looking for something a bit neater.

ElectricalOM looks the ticket.

Amtech is industry standard..but I have memories of using their cert software. Once they have you in their sights, it's a constant barrage of update costs.

I'll download the demo and have a go.
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0 pww235 over 4 years ago

John Peckham:

I am an Amtech user but have seen the Modesoft. It looks very good to me and a lot less than Trimble. The company are more helpful and responsive than Amtech who appear to reject every request for simple changes and expect customers to make the effort to get around problems. I asked Amtech/Trimble to change the default for the supply to be at the bottom of the drawing just like the previous version. Most designers put the supply at the bottom of a drawing, not the default at the top of the drawing, I was told if I set up a drawing showing a supply at the bottom of the drawing I could save this as a template. Of course I would need more than one template for different types of supply so I have to make the effort as a customer rather than what I thought would be a simple change! I have given up asking Amtech for anything now as I just get the bums rush to any request.

Modesoft are much more friendly and responsive and a lot less cost to buy and maintain.

I have no financial connection with Modesoft other some friendly chats with them at Elex shows.

John,

This can be changed in ProDesign on the fly by going into Project Settings in the Settings pane of the ribbon and navigating to Connection Settings in the Drawing section. Flips the
schematic to suit, maintaining any connections etc. already drawn.

Regards,

P
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